The Real Estate Agents Licensing Board says to date they have forwarded 19 cases of bogus agents to the Police Criminal Investigations Department for further investigation.
REALB Chairman, Doctor Abdul Hassan says this year, they have investigated 10 cases and are still liaising with CID on this matter.
Hassan says they are concerned that illegal agents are dealing with university students making them victims of scam and fraudulent acts by taking security deposits or bonds and promising them to arrange renting premises or flats for the students.
He says people should demand individuals to produce their REALB Identification Cards which has their agent license number approved by the Board.
The Consumer Council of Fiji recently received complaints where an individual claim to be a real estate agent and collected money to arrange a flat or house for rent.
In one of these cases, a group of regional students were targeted by an individual who gave assurances to provide rental housing.
The students collectively paid $3600 as a deposit to the individual in question but to their dismay, were not provided housing as promised.
